National Police Makes Up with KPK

The National Police sent a signal to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Friday that they are ready and willing to work hand in hand with the commission on the driving simulator graft case, apparently heeding calls for cooperation from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

“Our commitment to uphold the law includes upholding the law related to corruption cases,” National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo said on Friday as quoted by Antara news agency. Timur also said that his agency’s commit means “whoever committed corruption should be strictly punished according to the law, including members of the National Police.”

The pledge of cooperation comes after President Yudhoyono talked to Timur and KPK chief Abraham Samad on Wednesday. Yudhoyono said on Thursday that he told the head of each institution to resolve their disputes and agree on the best way to eradicate corruption.

“The two of you are the men I can count on, my best men in the fight against corruption,” he said on Thursday, quoting his own statement to Timur and Abraham from the night before. “The KPK has a very significant role, and the National Police and the attorney general should also carry out their work. I hope [you] can collaborate to combat corruption.”

With a history of a tense relations, the KPK and National Police have recently sparred for jurisdiction to investigate the Rp 197 billion ($21 million) purchase of driving simulators, which included the Police refusing to let KPK investigators remove evidence from their facilities on July 31.

The KPK named two police generals as suspects in the driving simulator graft case, including Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo, the former director of National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) and current Police Academy governor, as well as Korlantas current deputy chief, Brig. Gen. Didik Purnomo.

Djoko allegedly received Rp 2 billion ($212,000) in a kickbacks to award a contract to buy more than 1,200 driving simulators to metal company Citra mandiri Metalindo Abadi. Driving simulators are typically stationary motorbikes attached to sensors and televisions screens.

After the suspect’s were named, the National Police claimed they had already started their own investigation, and complied their own list of suspects.